McInnes demands explanation on NHS funding

Scottish Liberal Democrats have demanded an explanation from SNP ministers over claims on NHS funding after figures revealed that health boards across Scotland are still being short changed.

On January 11, the Scottish Government issued a statement which said that an additional tranche of funding would “bring all health boards to within one per cent of parity under the NHS funding formula, NRAC, a year earlier than planned.”

However figures published and analysed by SPICe showed that NHS Grampian and NHS Shetland are still two percent below parity. Six other health boards have not been brought within one per cent of parity under the funding formula.

MSP for the North East, Alison McInnes, said: “Last month the Scottish Government said that all health boards would brought be within 1 percent of parity of their funding formula. Just weeks later we learn that more than half of health boards are still being short-changed. Health boards would have already been planning how to spend the additional money on A&E units, beds and staff. Instead of being given a boost, NHS Grampian is once again being short-changed.

“It cannot be any coincidence that the boards which are consistently being short changed have poorer waiting times performance because the SNP has taken its eye off the ball.”